Viewers who love to ascribe meaning to the cryptic will have a field day. It’s extravagantly conceptual but also tethered to the here and now, which is why, for all its flights of fancy, worlds within worlds and agonies upon agonies, it comes down hard for living in the world with Intentionally or no, this film is an entertaining and farcical trip. Don't have an account? One of the greatest films of the past decade is Charlie Kaufman's ambitious excursion into the writer's mind, and the struggle of creation in a deranged and haunting surrealist piece with themes explored in time, loneliness, and artistic extent to greater establish the protagonist's deception between reality and creation. The percentage of users who rated this 3.5 stars or higher. |, November 22, 2020 Synecdoche, New York is less a movie than a series of disjointed meditations on art, death, and the connection between the two. Synecdoche, New York, as Kaufman explains on the "In and Around Synecdoche, New York" featurette, is a movie that adheres to dream-logic in a … |, September 24, 2020 The pacing can seem slow, until it catches you by surprise with the way it plays with time. [9], On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 68% based on 187 reviews, with an average rating of 6.77/10. It’s extravagantly conceptual but also tethered to the here and now. |, May 17, 2009 An impossible, bewildering and brave failure of a movie, Charlie Kaufman's Synecdoche, New York is difficult to watch and easy to avoid. You have struggled into existence, and are now slipping silently out of it. The work is so fragmented and delights so much in its own playful fragmentation that it becomes tedious in the end and whatever existential message it contains feels convoluted and shallow. Rex Reed, Richard Brody[38] and Roger Friedman,[39] all labeled it one of the worst films of 2008. "Synecdoche, New York" is a wonderful film but not a masterpiece. To me, it seems more like weirdness for weirdness' sake. [48], In 2019, the film ranked as #7 in The 100 Best Films of the 21st Century poll conducted by The Guardian.[49]. Determined to create a piece of brutal realism and honesty, he gathers an ensemble cast into a warehouse in Manhattan's theater district. ), an “In and Around Synecdoche, New York” location featurette (19 min. You are Ellen. Coming Soon. Finally, he prepares for death as he rests his head on the shoulder of an actress who had previously played Ellen's mother, seemingly the only person in the warehouse still alive. Rex Reed, writing in The New York Observer has loudly declared Synecdoche, New York the worst movie ever made, but if this is the worst movie Rex Reed has ever been forced to endure then he has led a charmed life indeed. |. Kaufman was awarded Best Original Screenplay by the Austin Film Critics Association and the film was placed on their Top 10 Films of the Year list. and the Terms and Policies, It's tempting, but a mistake, to dismiss this film as overblown and pretentious. The movie is originally set in Schenectady, but then moves to New York where PSH's character has a massive set built, and I guess that represents Synecdoche, NY (the word means "part that stands for the whole" and is pronounced similarly to Schenectady). [45] Some of those who placed it in their top ten included Manohla Dargis of The New York Times, Richard Corliss of Time, Shawn Anthony Levy of The Oregonian, Josh Rosenblatt of the Austin Chronicle, Joe Neumaier of the New York Daily News, Ty Burr and Wesley Morris of the Boston Globe, Lou Lumenick of the New York Post, Philip Martin of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Scott Foundas of LA Weekly, and Walter Chaw, Bill Chambers and Ian Pugh of Film Freak Central (all three of whom placed it at number one). Synecdoche is reminiscent of Woody Allen films (as well as 8 1/2 and Barton Fink), though the energy level is higher: more manic and more depressive. We want to hear what you have to say but need to verify your email. "Synecdoche, New York" is a wonderful film but not a masterpiece. Synecdoche, New York is a 2008 film written and directed by Charlie Kaufman. I s Synecdoche, New York self-indulgent? Kaufman touches upon universal theme of loneliness and melancholy through the eyes of an obsessive artist who builds a replica of life on stage within the replica, within the replica, within the replica... with depth and intimacy. [31] A number of critics have compared it to Federico Fellini's 1963 film 8½. It’s most definitely self-conscious. With Charlie Kaufman finally getting a chance to both operate behind the cameras and within the vast pages of his script and also with near complete creative control, this should have been his magnum opus but instead it turned out to be one … Life is looking pretty bleak for theater director Caden Cotard (Philip Seymour Hoffman). The story and themes of Synecdoche, New York polarized critics: while some called it pretentious or self-indulgent; others declared it a masterpiece and later listed it among the greatest films of all time, with Roger Ebert ranking it as the decade's best. “Synecdoche, New York” is as much a cry from the heart as it is an assertion of creative consciousness. And self-reflexive, too. Directed by Charlie Kaufman. It was also nominated for the Palme d'Or at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival. Every single one. | Rating: 4/5, May 17, 2009 Overrated? Synecdoche, New York is a long row of absurdist scenes, (Samantha Morton (Sweet and Lowdown (1999)) lives in a burning house, for instance), where actors overtake each others' roles, - which is understandably confusing, - while audiences like me … "[37], Negative reviews mostly called the film incomprehensible, pretentious, depressing, or self-indulgent. It’s over complicated and infuriating. It is a romantic film, but in an amazingly absurd one at that. Synecdoche, New York (2008) Kees Chalmers’s review published on Letterboxd: Trying to articulate my thoughts on this seems completely pointless to me, not only because it would end up sounding stupid and pretentious, but because I don’t think there’s any possible way to properly explain how much this movie means to me. The problem is that Charlie Kaufman is precisely the kind of pretentious artist he is mocking and Synecdoche, New York is exactly the kind of solipsistic work of art which is only truly relevant to the author himself. Verified reviews are considered more trustworthy by fellow moviegoers. We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future. Hazel, what do you think of this title? |, September 10, 2020 Despite finding "Synecdoche, New York" to be both emotionally and intellectually exhilarating, the film does fall shy of cinematic greatness. Directed by Charlie Kaufman. A portentous, pretentious film that draws on Fellini's 8 1/2, Bergman and Woody Allen but never manages to become an original, coherent piece on its own. If you engage with the movie on its own terms then even its oddest, most surreal conceits - such as the home that is permanently on fire - make a weird kind of sense. He lives out his days in the model of Adele's apartment under the replacement director's instruction while some unexplained calamity occurs in the warehouse leaving ruins and bodies in its wake. | Rating: 3/5 Cinemark Theatrical poster for Synecdoche, New York. [47], In a 2016 BBC critics' poll, Synecdoche, New York was ranked the 20th-greatest film of the 21st century. To enjoy this film, one has to be able to just go with everything that happens (all manner of weird and crazy things) and maybe make some sense out of it or not. Sammy's interest in Hazel sparks a revival of Caden's relationship with her, leading Sammy to commit suicide. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include a 37-minute “Infectious Diseases in Cattle” bloggers' roundtable, an NFTS/Script Factory Masterclass with filmmaker Charlie Kaufman (28 min. | Rating: 3/4 He hits rock bottom when Adele leaves him for a new life in Berlin, taking their four-year-old daughter Olive with her. Synecdoche, New York (DVD) : Theater director Caden Cotard is mounting a new play. I thought the movie was too long and somewhat frustrating. Just below that it reads "Ticket Confirmation#:" followed by a 10-digit number. A black comedy, SYNECDOCHE [“Sih-NECK-doh-kee”], NEW YORK is another brain teaser from acclaimed writer Charlie Kaufman (BEING JOHN MALKOVICH, ADAPTATION and ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND). Synecdoche, New York (DVD) : Theater director Caden Cotard is mounting a new play. For instance, Sammy Barnathan is cast in the role of Caden in the play after Sammy reveals that he has been obsessively following Caden for 20 years, while Sammy's lookalike is cast as Sammy. "[34] In 2009 Ebert wrote that the movie was the best of the decade. Synecdoche, New York It would not be fair to call Cotard pretentious, to say that he was done in by his own pretentiousness. Sony Pictures Classics acquired the United States distribution rights, paying no money but agreeing to give the film's backers a portion of the revenues. Every morning he opens the newspaper to the obituaries first, and then comments to his wife Adele (Catherine Keener) about who has died that day. His wife and daughter have left him, his therapist is more interested in plugging her new book than helping him with his problems, and a strange disease is causing his body to shut down. | Rating: 4/10 | Blog | WorldMaker.net", "Reading Charlie Kaufman's Next Project,", TwitchFilm interview With Charlie Kaufman, https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2008/12/film-d01.html, "The Life of the Mined: On Synecdoche, New York", Boston Review — Alan A. “Synecdoche, New York” is as much a cry from the heart as it is an assertion of creative consciousness. It appeared on 101 "Best of 2008" lists with 20 of them giving it the number one spot. But there is also plenty in there, plenty of drama and humor, for the casual viewer. They won't be able to see your review if you only submit your rating. By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy ", Synecdoche, New York :: rogerebert.com :: Reviews, The best films of the decade – Roger Ebert's Journal, "Movie Review – Synecdoche, New York – Dreamer, Live in the Here and Now – NYTimes.com", "Review: 'Synecdoche, New York'. The film goes on too long, but... needs to be seen twice for all the pieces to click. He is traumatized as he discovers Adele has become a celebrated painter in Berlin and Olive is growing up under the questionable guidance of Adele's friend Maria. The two began working on a film dealing with things they found frightening in real life, rather than typical horror-film tropes. After a failed attempt at a fling with Hazel (the woman who works in the box office), he marries Claire, an actress in his cast, and has a daughter with her. It was also nominated for the Palme d'Or at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival. As the city inside the warehouse grows, Caden's own life veers wildly off … Every morning he opens the newspaper to the obituaries first, and then comments to his wife Adele (Catherine Keener) about who has died that day. The plot follows an ailing theater director (Hoffman) as he works on an increasingly elaborate stage production whose extreme commitment to realism begins to blur the boundaries between fiction and reality. Synecdoche is mainly about finding out the truth about oneself by looking at one's relationships to other human beings. “Synecdoche, New York” is the directing debut of screenwriter Charlie Kaufman, who also wrote the script. Lived; understood; disappointing. The story and themes of Synecdoche, New York polarized critics: some called it pretentious or "self-indulgent"; multiple others, including Roger Ebert, declared it a masterpiece and later listed it among the best films of the 2000s, with Ebert ranking it #1. The story and themes of Synecdoche, New York polarized critics: some called it pretentious or "self-indulgent"; multiple others, including Roger Ebert, declared it a masterpiece and later listed it among the best films of the 2000s, with Ebert ranking it #1. By opting to have your ticket verified for this movie, you are allowing us to check the email address associated with your Rotten Tomatoes account against an email address associated with a Fandango ticket purchase for the same movie. So you are Adele, Hazel, Claire, Olive. This is everyone's experience. Synecdoche, New York « on: January 17, 2020, 12:47:37 PM » Watched this ages, thought it was a pile of pretentious crap, but I'm being strangely drawn into watching it again. The film continuously brings up the quote "The end is built into the beginning" which is meant to symbolize the emphasis on the connection of death with birth. 1959. blur the boundaries between fiction and reality, 2008 Chicago Film Critics Association Award, Independent Spirit Award for Best First Feature, Independent Spirit Award for Best Screenplay, 2008 Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award, Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Feature Motion Picture, "Two tickets for, er, Syne ... er ... that new film please", "The ultimate postmodern novel is a film | Books | guardian.co.uk", Michael Barker Sony – Sony Classics' Michael Barker and Tom Bernard take the long view of success – Los Angeles Times, "Synecdoche, New York: A Great Film About the Upcoming Zombie Apocalypse? Sign up here. Determined to create a piece of brutal realism and honesty, he gathers an ensemble cast into a warehouse in Manhattan's theater district. Synecdoche is reminiscent of Woody Allen films (as well as 8 1/2 and Barton Fink), though the energy level is higher: more manic and more depressive. It is a wildly overpraised and almost as wildly derided film. [5][6] It had a limited theatrical release in the U.S. on October 24, 2008, and was a commercial failure on its initial release.[2]. He suffers from numerous physical ailments and has been growing increasingly alienated from his wife, Adele, an artist. Regal A theatre director struggles with his work, and the women in his life, as he creates a life-size replica of New York City inside a warehouse as part of his new play. Phillip Seymour Hoffman is a great fit for the lead role with a performance that highly projective, the world is his shadow. |, March 24, 2021 Despite finding "Synecdoche, New York" to be both emotionally and intellectually exhilarating, the film does fall shy of cinematic greatness. 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